As a rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015, T.J. Yeldon was on the field more than all but seven running backs in the NFL, even though the former Alabama standout missed four games with injuries.

It doesn't appear Yeldon will be in store for that kind of workload in his second season after the Jaguars snared free agent running back Chris Ivory.

Last season, Ivory ran for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns on 247 carries and caught 30 passes for 217 yards and one TD in 15 games for the New York Jets, and Yeldon ran for 740 yards and two touchdowns on 182 carries and caught 36 passes for 279 yards and one TD in 12 games.

At the NFL Scouting Combine last month, Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said "the sky's the limit" for Yeldon.

During a press conference on Thursday to discuss Jacksonville's free-agent signings, Caldwell said running back "wasn't a pressing need for us because we feel like we have a young back, but it was an opportunity for (Ivory) where we felt he may have been able to come in here. In this league, you need two guys. We saw what happened when T.J. left the game last year. Our two games against Houston and then late in the year -- when we didn't have T.J., it affected our run game."

Yeldon missed a game with a groin injury and sat out the final three contests because of an MCL sprain during his rookie season.

In 2015, the Jaguars' No. 2 running back was former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, who ran 67 times for 266 yards and one touchdown and caught 21 passes for 164 yards.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley acknowledged Yeldon might have been worked too hard as a rookie: "I think you can continue to see him grow. We'd like to spread it out a little bit more just to keep the guys fresh, but very pleased with his progress."

Caldwell didn't speculate on how Yeldon and Ivory would divide the carries in 2016, except to say they would.

"I think he and TJ will work it out," Caldwell said at Thursday's press conference. "They'll probably split carries. I don't know how it's going to work out, who's going to start what game. I'm sure it will be different in every game and every situation. But to have both of those guys to be fresh throughout the course of the year and to have depth there was a key add for us and something we don't have to address in the draft if we don't want to. ...

"They're both big backs; they're both physical backs. They have a little bit different run styles. TJ's a little bit more patient where Chris is a little bit more urgent, downhill."

Ivory has split his six NFL seasons between the New Orleans Saints and the Jets.

Ivory was an undrafted rookie from NCAA Division II Tiffin, where he landed after being dismissed from Washington State, when he led the Saints with 716 rushing yards in 2010 after injuries to Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas.

The next season, Ivory was limited to six games by a lingering foot injury and the addition to Darren Sproles and rookie Mark Ingram to Pierre Thomas in the Saints' backfield. After another six-game season in 2012, New Orleans traded Ivory to the Jets.

In three seasons with the Jets, Ivory ran for 2,724 yards and 16 touchdowns and was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2015.

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Ivory's new contract with the Jaguars comes with $10 million in guaranteed money - all of it in the first two seasons. Ivory will have a base salary of $2 million in 2016.

At an introductory press conference in Jacksonville on Thursday, Ivory praised Yeldon.

"From the little I've seen of him, I know he's a very explosive guy, has big play ability," Ivory said. "He has it all, man, so I'm excited to get ready to work with him. All in all, I'm just coming in ready to add a piece to what's already going on in this organization."

Ivory said he didn't expect any dissatisfaction over sharing work with Yeldon.

"I've been in a two-back system since I started my career," Ivory said. "I think it does allow durability throughout the season and allows guys to come in fresh, so I think it's a good situation. And not only that, I think it extends your career."

Before going to Alabama, Yeldon earned the ASWA's Mr. Football Award for the 2011 high school season while playing for Daphne.